Stuttering What is it? What do we do about it? Menta...

Stuttering really isn't called stuttering at all. According to the DSM 5 it is called Childhood Onset Fluency Disorder, although it can have adult onset as well. We find that 80-90% of individuals with this have acquired it by age 6.

What causes stuttering? Just like all psychological disorders, we don't really know, but there are 4 hypothesized causes:1. Genetics. We know that if someone else in your family has a speech disorder or other neurodevelopmental disorder that you are three times more likely to have one as well.2. Child development. If you also have another speech disorder or neurodevelopmental disorder you are more likely to have another. 3. Neurophysiology. If we stutter, our brain can actually be shown to process language differently from those who don't stutter. 4. Family dynamics. Having a high stress, high expectation household can contribute to stuttering and make it harder for our children to communicate their wants and needs.

So if we struggle with this, what are we supposed to do? Stuttering help.org has tons and tons of ideas, but the ones that I found to be the most researched and recommended are the following 5:1. Relax Although we know that stress doesn't cause stuttering, it can make it worse. So worrying that we may stutter and stressing about it doesn't help. Try relaxation techniques and make sure to give yourself some "me time" each day. 2. Talk about something into a mirror. They recommend 30 minutes a day, but just do it for as long as you can. Hearing yourself speak without a stutter can help boost your self-confidence and make you feel better speaking around others. 3. Read books out loud. If you have a small child, this is an easy one. But if not, just take some time to read out loud each day. It can help you practice odd words or sentences that you may normally shy away from for fear of stuttering. 4. When you do find yourself stuttering, let out some tension in between your speech blocks. Many people report that once they start stuttering they can't make it stop. Letting out a "arghhhh" or other tension releasing sound can stop the stuttering and allow you to keep talking. 5. Lastly, Be gentle with yourself. Working through this is going to take time and practice, but you are worth it. If your stuttering is bothering you, then it's worth giving it a try. So let's get started!!

If you know someone who stutters make sure to share this video!! The more people who know they aren't alone and recognize that there are things they can do to make it go away the better!!